I am used to hearing Rattler students chanting at football, basketball and lately the volleyball games.
The roaring cheer of the students supporting the student athletes at the sideline is what encourages the players to play harder and earn a strong win.
I consider myself a traditional Rattler in the sense that I attend as many home games for every sport as my time allows me to.
I’m always present adorned in the most royal oranges and greens.
As you may know, there was a “Triple Threat” of games on November 5-7 that included a volleyball game, basketball double header and home football game and I was present at every event with my “Ole’ FAMU Sprit.”
But the spirit was almost lost at the men and women’s basketball games.
The fact that as a student I pay $11.30 per credit hour in athletic fees, $2.32 per credit hour in building fees and $2.44 per credit hour to the Capital Improvement Trust Fund was definitely a factor.
My spirit was tested because all of these fees were used to build the new teaching gymnasium.
My spirit was tested because inside this gymnasium are beautiful orange and green seats with comfortable seatbacks that I learned I cannot sit in because I help pay the funds to build it and the general public of fans, who did not help pay to build the facility are more important than me.
My spirit was tested because there was some guy standing in the bench section located at the end court where the most uncomfortable benches are, holding a Play Skool like chalk board that read “student section.”
You should be proud to know that my spirit was not lost. Although I was upset, all was not lost because I chose to sit in the normal section anyway and dared any individual, administrative or otherwise, to ask me to move.
I say all that to say, I recommend that section “E” through “J”(left courtside, with seat backs) be reserved as general student seating.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns about how I feel you can find me at the next game hosted in the Lawson Gym wearing orange and green, loud as ever somewhere at the bottom of sections G, H or I, with roaring Rattler pride.
Ashley M. Nelson is a first-year graduate occupational therapy student from Port St. Lucie. She can be reached at famuanopinions@gmail.com.